However, the deal to take Sanchez to the Etihad looked like it could happen on Deadline Day, with Arsenal provisionally agreed a deal worth up to £60m providing that they could find a replacement for the 28-year-old.

After defeat in both of their last two matches, Sanchez's Chile sit sixth in the South America qualifying table and could miss out on the World Cup 2018 in Russian Federation, unless they can get results against Ecuador and Brazil in their final group games next month.

"I see Alexis overweight, I see him fat", Sulantay said.

"He needs to come back to full fitness, which he wasn't at Liverpool (in the 4-0 loss)". Perhaps the most blunt assessment of his current physical condition came from Jose Sulantay, Chile's former Under-20 and Under-17 boss, who suggested Sanchez was overweight after the Paraguay game.

"But he is strong mentally and hopefully he will be back very quickly to his best".

"I believe we have to keep a certain confidentiality about the transfer market". I think it's very hard to set a time. Times where you just wanted to bounce Kroenke's and Gazides plus Wenger's head off the wall.

English Premier League clubs voted on Thursday to close the 2018 close-season transfer window before the start of the 2018-19 campaign. "He's made a decision to stay in Monaco and you have to respect that".

'The players who are tapped up in October, they already start to think, 'Where do I go in January?'

Ozil, who shone for Germany with a goal and an assist in their 6-0 thrashing of Norway during the worldwide break, will have a chance to do his talking on the pitch when Arsenal welcome Bournemouth to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

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After a promising preseason, Arsenal is once again struggling in the Premier League with the long-serving manager, Arsene Wenger, under intense scrutiny by both the fans and the media. It's very hard to set a time.